


Doubt

by Red Dragon (Red_Dragonn)



Series: tumblr prompts [5]
Category: Licanius Series - James Islington
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Inspired By Tumblr, call out fic, get your shit together elocien, unfortunately
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 15:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Dragonn/pseuds/Red%20Dragon
Summary: Unseen War-era Elocien gets called out by a close friend. Doesn't take it to heart.





	Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> please dear GOD read these books i'm suffering in Tiny Fandom Hell

Elocien and his new friend and advisor Laiman Kardai had stopped for the night in a small town just outside of the fortress that was Tol Thane. That night, as the two sat up late by the light of a candle and tried to work out the logistics for the upcoming battle with the Gifted, they chatted to pass the time. Laiman spoke about his family, dead at the hands of starvation, and Elocien listened intently. Elocien spoke of the fact that Kevran didn't seem to trust him, and Laiman nodded along. 

Then Laiman gave voice to a doubt that, Elocien knew, had probably been plaguing him since before the two of them had even met.

"Elocien...do you think that what we're doing is _right_?"

"It's necessary," Elocien responded, biting back a yawn. 

"I know it is," Laiman muttered. "But that doesn't mean that what we're doing..."

"The Gifted are evil."

Laiman nodded grimly. "I'm not blind. I know what the Tols have done, how they abused their power--"

"Then surely you must know that we're in the right."

"But this, this... _senseless violence_ against the Gifted, against the _Augurs_ , how can it be any better?" 

"They were perpetrating senseless violence against the people of _Andarra_ ," Elocien insisted. This conversation was starting to take a startling turn towards the doubts he himself struggled with at night.

"It wasn't all of the Gifted," said Laiman. "And this upturns the entire country. So many have _died_ because of us."

"So many more would have died under the Gifted's rule. So many _have_. We had to do something."

"I'm not disputing that, Highness," said Laiman quickly. "But the way we've done it. This _slaughter_. It feels wrong." 

"It does," Elocien muttered. "But there was no way around it."

"I'm not sure about that," Laiman said.

"What would you have done?" Elocien snapped. "There was _nothing else_ my brother and I could do."

"But--"

"Whose side are you even on, Kardai?" snapped Elocien.

Laiman froze.

"Sire, of course I'm on your side," he hastily apologized, "it's just that this war weighs heavily on my conscience."

 _You and me both_ , Elocien thought, but he didn't say it. "Let's get back to work."


End file.
